Program Overview
Robert Morris University offers an Elementary Teacher
Certification Preparation program for students who hold a
bachelor's degree in any field. The program provides the
coursework required for Pennsylvania state teacher
certification for kindergarten through grade six.

The program is based on the principles of developmentally
appropriate practice to serve the needs of diverse populations
of children through the development of active, constructive
and collaborative learning experiences. Completion of the
program requires a 16-week semester of supervised student
teaching and the successful completion of all required Praxis
examinations.

If you wish to pursue the Master of Science in Instructional
Leadership degree at RMU concurrently with the Elementary
Teacher Certification Preparation program, you must apply for
admission to the master's degree program and follow all
graduate admission requirements and procedures. You also
should notify the Graduate Admissions Office of your
intention to pursue the two programs concurrently.

Curriculum
Experts cite a great demand for teachers who can teach
computer skills to their students and make effective use of
technology as a teaching tool in the classroom. However,
research shows that only 15 percent of all teacher candidates
nationwide receive adequate training in using technology in
the classroom.

RMU's Elementary Teacher Certification Preparation program
was designed to meet the new Pennsylvania standards for
technology education as well as the National Education
Technology Standards established by the International Society
for Technology in Education.

If you hold a bachelor's degree in a non-education related
field, you must meet the following requirements for
elementary teacher certification in the state of Pennsylvania.
The elementary education coordinator will evaluate your
academic transcripts to determine which of the course
requirements have already been met through previous study.

Core Requirements - 3 credits each

COSK1220

Reading and Writing Strategies

COSK1221

Argument and Research

ELIT1070

Children's Literature

HIST1020

United States History I or

HIST1025

United States History II

HUMA1010

Humanities: Art and Music

INFS1050

Fundamentals of Information Systems

MATH1020

Pre-Calculus or

MATH1050

Math Reasoning/Applications

PSYC1010

General Psychology

Science Elective

(3 credits from ENVS, BIOL, PHYS or SCIE)

Major Requirements - 3 credits each

GEOG1020

World Geography

MATH2010

Fundamentals of Mathematics

POLS1020

American National Government

PSYC2620

Child Psychology or

PSYC3550

Human Growth and Development

ENVS1160

Ecology of a Changing Planet or

SCIE1020

Fundamental Science Concepts

Education Requirements - 3 credits each unless noted

(*graduate-level equivalent course)

EDUC2000

Schools and Society or

EDUC6000*

Critical Issues Affecting American Education

EDUC2100

Educational Psychology or

EDUC6010*

Theories of Learning and Instruction

EDUC3010

Special Needs in the Elementary Classroom or

EDUC6080*

Special Learning Problems

ELED3050

Educational Assessment or

EDUC6020*

Assessment/Educational Statistics

EDUC3025

Instructional Design and Classroom Management or

EDUC6060*

Curriculum Design and Development

ELED1000

Technology Literacy for Education or

EDUC6100*

Multimedia Design or

EDUC6110*

Computers in the Classroom

ELED2000

Electronic Media for Teachers or

EDUC6210*

Internet/Basic Web Page Design

ELED3350

Elementary Content Area Reading and Assessment

ELED6800

Enhancing Instruction in Elementary Social Studies

ELED6810

Enhancing Instruction in Elementary Math and Science

ELED6820

Enhancing Instruction in Elementary Reading and Language Arts

ELED4060

Elementary Field Experience I

ELED4061

Elementary Field Experience II

ELED4200

Supervised Student Teaching (13 credits)

ELED4210

Student Teaching Seminar (2 credits)

Career Opportunities
Job opportunities for teachers over the next 10 years should be
excellent, mostly due to the large number of teachers expected
to retire. It is projected that 1.7 to 2.7 million new public school
teachers will be needed nationwide by 2008-09. Each year, more
than 150,000 public school teachers are hired to replace teachers
who have retired or left the profession, to fill new positions in
growing school districts or to address special needs.

Teaching is a highly respected profession which provides a
regular daily and weekly work schedule, time off each year,
excellent benefits, job security and opportunities to continue
your education. The salary range for teachers in the U.S. is
$30,000 to $80,000 per year with an average salary of $45,771
per year.

A completed application and a non-refundable $35 application fee. Or apply online for free.

Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all colleges or universities attended.

Admission Requirements
In order to qualify to begin studies at RMU, you must have a
minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate grade point average
(GPA). If you do not meet this requirement, the elementary
education coordinator may use other state-approved methods
of calculating your GPA in order to determine if you qualify to
begin studies. Students who then meet the GPA requirement
will be permitted to enter the University on a conditional basis
to begin taking courses.

Passing scores on the Praxis I (pre-professional skills test) in reading, writing and mathematics

All required Act 151 (33 and 34) clearances and
FBI fingerprinting

All required immunization and health test records

In addition to these items, you will be evaluated to determine
if you have fulfilled the state's academic course requirements,
which include successful completion of:

Six credits of college-level mathematics

Three credits of college-level English composition

Three credits of college-level children's literature

You must meet the above outlined admission criteria prior to
being officially admitted to the teacher certification candidacy
and student teaching portions of the program.

Program Advisement
For more information on the Elementary Teacher Certification
Preparation program or to discuss the admission evaluation
process, contact Dr. Dan Shelley, professor of
education, at 412-397-2475.